Hopper car pivoted closure latching mechanism



N 1963 KARL-ERIKKARLSSON 3,109,339

HOPPER CAR PIVOTED CLOSURE LATCHING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 5, 1959INVENTOR.

KARL-ERIK Kmussow BY 1 M 7 United States Patent 3,109,339 HGPPER CARPIVOTED CLGSURE LATCHHNG MECHANISM Karl-Erik Karlsson, Suudbyberg,Sweden, assignor to AB Svenska .i'arnvagsverirstaderna, a corporation ofSweden Filed Nov. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 851,197 Ciaiins priority,appiication Sweden Nov. 5, 1958 2 Ciaims. (U. 195-253) Inself-discharging hopper cars and similar vehicles for the transport ofload in bulk, such as ore, the unloading doors are usually pivotallymounted at the upper edge and provided at the lower edge with catchesfor cooperation with latches on a locking shaft which is rotatablymounted in the body of the car. When the doors are to be shut, they haveto be raised and swung upward into closed position whereupon the lockingshaft is turned to closing position.

This invention provides such an arrangement of the unloading doors thatthey can be opened and shut under the action of gravity.

The invention is characterized by the fact that the door is pivotallysuspended on a shaft the location of which relative to the center ofgravity of the door is such as to cause the force of gravity acting onthe door to exert a torque which tends to shut the door.

Embodiments of the invention are described hereinbelow with reference tothe annexed drawing in which FIG. 1 is an elevation of a hopper carprovided with bottom doors according to the invention, FIG. 2 is avertical projection of part of the bottom hopper of said car on anenlarged scale, FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the door proper and FIG. 4is a vertical elevation on an enlarged scale of a hopper with a dooraccording to a modified embodiment.

A door 1 which closes a bottom opening in the lower part of the body 10of a hopper car illustrated with two hopper discharge portions 10a, 10bis at its upper edge provided with suspension arms 2 pivoted to a shaft2, the location of which relative to the center of gravity cg of thedoor is such as to cause the force of gravity acting on the door toexert a torque which tends to keep the door in a closed position. At itslower edge, the door is provided with locking means including catches 4which in the closed position engage corresponding latches 4' provided ona locking shaft 5. When the locking shaft 5 is turned by a lever 5' intoan open position, in which the latches 4 are removed from the catches 4,the door will be opened due to the Weight of the load and will beautomatically locked by a latch device including a latch 3 engaging aprojection 3' at the upper edge of the door (FIG. 2). The latch 3 ispivoted to a beam appertaining to the body of the car so as to be ableto swing up from a horizontal position but being prevented from swingingdownwards. In the open position, the center of gravity of the door islocated at a higher level than the center of gravity in the closedposition.

When the doors are to be shut, the latch 3 is released by being swungupwards whereupon the door falls back into closed position.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the upper edge of the door 1 ispivotally mounted on a shaft 2 which is displaceable upwards along slots8 provided in guide members 8' disposed on either side of the door andrigidily secured to the body 10 of the car. At its lower end the door isprovided with locking means including catches 4 which in closed positionare engaged by a corresponding number of latches 4 secured to thelocking shaft 5 operable by a lever 5. The lever 5' as well as thelatches 4 are keyed to the shaft 5. The door is further suspended on twodepending arms 6, one such arm 3,109,389 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 beingprovided on either side of the door. The upper ends of the dependingarms are rotatably secured to the body 1% of the car such as to be ableto swing around a shaft 9, and their lower ends are articulated to thedoor. The center of gravity cg of the door is located on a vertical linebetween the axis of the horizontal shaft 2 and that of the horizontalshaft 9 supporting the upper ends of the arms 6. If the locking shaft 5is turned by the lever 5 to an open position, the doors will be openeddue to the weight of the load and will be automatically locked by alatch device including latch 7 pivotally mounted on body 10 at the upperedges of the doors which is engaged by cross piece 3" of door 1, asindicated by chairndotted lines. In the open position, the center ofgravity of the door is located at a higher level than the center ofgravity in the closed position.

When the doors are to be shut, the latch 7 is released whereupon thedoor falls back into closed position.

What I claim is:

1. In a hopper vehicle having a body including a discharge openingtherein directed obliquely downwardly, a bottom discharge door having anupper edge, said door being disposed over said discharge opening andincluding suspension arms rigidly secured at said upper edge, means forpivoting the free ends of said suspension arms to the body on an axislocated with respect to the center of gravity of the door to bias the'door to closed position, locking means disposed at the bottom portionof the discharge opening for engaging and locking the distal edge of thedoor to said body, a latch device mounted on said body adjacent saiddoor, and projection means disposed on said door on the upper edge, saidprojection means engaging said latch device to operate same during theopening movement of the door to latch the door in an open position.

2. In a hopper vehicle having a body including a discharge openingtherein directed obliquely downwardly, a bottom discharge door having anupper edge, said door being disposed over said discharge opening, guidemeans mounted on said body parallel to the sides of the dischargeopening, means. for pivotally mounting the upper edge of said door tothe guide means on an axis located with respect to the center of gravityof the door to bias the door to closed position, supporting arms havingone end thereof pivotally connected to said body while the other ends ofsaid supporting arms are pivotally mounted toward the distal edge ofsaid door, locking means disposed at the bottom portion of the dischargeopening for engaging and locking the distal edge of the door to saidbody, a latch device mounted on said body adjacent said door, and meansdisposed on said door adjacent the upper edge for engaging said latchdevice to operate same during the opening movement of the door to latchthe door in an open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS571,480 Johnson Nov. 17, 1896 601,203 Truax Mar. 22, 1898 658,783 KingOct. 2, 1900 746,519 Johnson Dec. 8, 1903 789,756 Piper May 16, 19051,071,802 Schlatz Sept. 2, 1913 1,074,994 Van Scoy Oct. 7, 19131,109,601 Steinmeyer Sept. 1, 1914 1,134,251 Barber et a1. Apr. 6, 19151,179,266 Baskerville Apr. 11, 1916 1,739,026 Conner Dec. 10, 19291,949,555 Woehle Mar. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,057 Great Britain Dec.14, 1895

1. IN A HOPPER VEHICLE HAVING A BODY INCLUDING A DISCHARGE OPENINGTHEREIN DIRECTED OBLIQUELY DOWNWARDLY, A BOTTOM DISCHARGE DOOR HAVING ANUPPER EDGE, SAID DOOR BEING DISPOSED OVER SAID DISCHARGE OPENING ANDINCLUDING SUSPENSION ARMS RIGIDLY SECURED AT SAID UPPER EDGE, MEANS FORPIVOTING THE FREE ENDS OF SAID SUSPENSION ARMS TO THE BODY ON AN AXISLOCATED WITH RESPECT TO THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE DOOR TO BIAS THEDOOR TO CLOSED POSITION, LOCKING MEANS DISPOSED AT THE BOTTOM PORTION OFTHE DISCHARGE OPENING FOR ENGAGING AND LOCKING THE DISTAL EDGE OF THEDOOR TO SAID BODY, A LATCH DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID BODY ADJACENT SAIDDOOR, AND PROJECTION MEANS DISPOSED ON SAID DOOR ON THE UPPER EDGE, SAIDPROJECTION MEANS ENGAGING SAID LATCH DEVICE TO OPERATE SAME DURING THEOPENING MOVEMENT OF THE DOOR TO LATCH THE DOOR IN AN OPEN POSITION.